Military armament systems continue to become increasingly complex and technologically sophisticated. With this increase in complexity and sophistication comes an increase in cost. For example, a weapon currently in the arsenal of the U.S. Army is the TOW (Tube-launched, Optically-tracked, Wire-guided) missile system. This anti-tank weapon system fires a sophisticated missile that is launched from a launching tube, optically-tracked over a period of up to, for example, approximately 20-seconds, and controlled in-flight to the target by an operator via a deployed wire communications umbilical that allows communication between the operator and the in-flight missile. Once the weapon is fired, the only action required by the operator is to keep the optical sight cross-hairs on the target until weapon impact. To effectively employ this weapon, the operator needs to be trained to maintain the target within the sights of the weapons target tracking system until target impact by the weapon. The cost to launch a TOW missile can be expensive which prohibits a large number of these systems to be consumed during training exercises. In an effort to minimize the cost of training personnel in the operation of expensive military armament systems, it has been a common practice to place a smaller caliber weapon system, which fires less expensive ammunition, in the bore of the larger launching system. When fired, the smaller caliber projectile simulates the firing and ballistic trajectory of an actual and more expensive round providing an accurate, realistic, and cost-effective training experience to the operator. The use of smaller caliber ammunition reduces cost and allows training to be conducted on readily available and less expensive small arms ranges. However, these methods heretofore do not account for the time-of-flight (TOF) of the simulated weapon and consequently do not provide the needed optical tracking time necessary for operator training. Attempts to simulate weapon systems operation using computer-based virtual video displays have been made, but these systems suffer from the lack of their ability to provide the operator with a realistic hands-on training experience under actual field conditions. Consequently, there is a need to devise cost-effective ways of providing weapons operators realistic training on such weapons systems.
This invention provides an exemplary embodiment of an in-bore sub-caliber training apparatus for use in a TOW weapon system having the capability to interface with a TOW launching system and simulate the TOF and resultant target impact point of a more expensive TOW missile.
This invention further provides an exemplary embodiment of an in-bore sub-caliber training apparatus for use in a projectile launching weapon system having the capability to interface with and simulate the characteristics of a more expensive, larger caliber system.
This invention still further provides an exemplary embodiment of an in-bore sub-caliber training apparatus capable of firing ammunition of different calibers.
The said training apparatus essentially comprises a sub-caliber weapon that is supported in-bore of the launching tube of a TOW missile. The said sub-caliber weapon employs recoil suppression and is supported via forward and rear mounting brackets designed to fit within and attach to an existing launching tube. The said rear mounting bracket comprises an adjustment mechanism to allow precise aiming refinement in both traverse and elevation of the sub-caliber weapon to ensure the ballistic trajectory and resulting impact point of the fired sub-caliber round coincides with the aim-point as seen by the operator. A ballistic timer, actuated upon firing, delays firing of the sub-caliber weapon for a time interval equal to that calculated for the TOF of the larger simulated weapon. This firing delay allows the operator to gain training experience by optically tracking a target for the time the simulated weapon would otherwise be in-flight. At the end of the delay period and approximately at the calculated time of impact of the simulated weapon, the sub-caliber weapon is allowed to fire a projectile at the target location last sighted by the operator. The impact point of the sub-caliber projectile provides the operator instant feedback on his/her targeting accuracy.
In one aspect of the invention, the sub-caliber device may be used in systems other than TOW type designs.
In yet another aspect of the invention, the sub-caliber weapon may be interchanged with weapons of other calibers.
This invention offers superior training by providing the operator realistic TOF tracking time of the simulated weapon and allowing the operator to fire multiple times at a significant cost savings as opposed to firing relatively fewer actual and relatively more expensive weapons.